Download climate_change_notes_and_assignment

CLIMATE CHANGE
CLIMATE VS. WEATHER
Climate
Weather
Short Term
Long Term
Limited Area
Wide Area
Changes Rapidly
Seasonal Changes
Difficult to Predict
Measured Over Long Spans of Time
WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE
 Climate is the average weather at a given point and time of
year, over a long period (typically 30 years).
 We expect the weather to change a lot from day to day, but
we expect the climate to remain relatively constant.
 If the climate doesn’t remain constant, we call it climate
change.
NATURAL CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate is affected by some of the following:
Ocean Currents
Volcanic eruptions
Latitude and Altitude
Solar Radiation
Photosynthesis
Decomposition
Greenhouse gases (which are essential for our climate)
HUMAN CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Deforestation
Coal Mining
Burning of Fossil Fuels
Industrial Processes
Agriculture
Greenhouse gases
GREENHOUSE GASES
Greenhouse gases naturally occur in the earth’s
atmosphere. They are found in water vapor, carbon
dioxide (plants and animals), methane (from the wetlands,
oceans and termites), and nitrous oxide (soil, vegetation
and oceans).
Without greenhouses gases, the earth’s atmosphere would
be approximately -18 degrees Celsius.
Human activity also affects greenhouse gases and alters
our climate, resulting in global warming. We do this by
increase the amount of gases we put into the environment.
WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING?
It is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the
earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse
effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide,
chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.
EVIDENCE OF GLOBAL WARMING
Melting Glaciers – Raising Sea Level
Tree ring data
Changing animal and plant life
Increases in annual temperatures
Increase in the temperature of the earth
Extreme drought
Hurricanes
WHAT CAN WE DO TO FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING?
Research the following question and write a one page
reflection on what you can do, personally, to help fight
global warming. You should then reflect on what others,
(including big businesses, etc.) can do as well.